Rug and linoleum transfer car



Jan. 2, 1951 K. F. MICKAM 1 RUG AND LINOLEUM TRANSFER CAR Filed Sept.19, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3.

Kenneth F. Mickam Jan. 2, 1951 K. F. MICKAM RUG AND LINOLEUM TRANSFERCAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1947 Inventor Patented Jan. 2, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUG ANH LINOLEUM '1I'EKNSFER CAR Kenneth F.-Mickam, Grand Rapids, Mich.-

Application September 19, I947, SeriaI 'No; 775,033

(Cli-2'14--85) '1 Claims; 1

This invention. relates generally to equipment for handling rugs andlinoleum, and more particularly to a transfer car comprising an.elongated wheeled; frame: with. elongated: roller mechanisms mountedthereon and adapted to receive rolls, the car including means forfacilitating the. loading of. the rolls thereon and specially designedbearings for the rolls.

A further object of this invention is to provide atransfer ca which maybe conveniently used to transport rugs and linoleum, the device. beingparticularly adapted. for use by furnture dealers in transferringcarpets, rugs and linoleumsto' and from wall racks or moving the sametoward and a-Wy from a cutting table.

Another object of this invention is. to provide a transfer car of thischaracter, by means of which one or two men may conveniently handleheavy rollsof material, a. special ramp structure being provided tofacilitate the rolling of the rolls onto the frame, and the same rampstructure being adapted for pivoting one set of rolIs upwardly,whereafter the car may be pushed or pulled to move the material asdesired. 7

Still. another object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which can'he con veniently stored, as under a cutting table.

Another object of this invention is to provide a car of this characterwhich may he used" to transport rolls of lengths shorter and longer thanthe car per se.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel bearingconstruction for the rollers}, this special bearing means being adaptedto provide anti-frictional terminal support for" the rollers and toovercome end thrust of these" rollers in a very simple manner.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a' deviceof this character which is relatively inexpensive and practicable tomanufacture, extremely simple to use under varied conditions, and whichwill give generally efiici'ent and durable service. I

With these objects definitely in View, together with other objects whichwill appear as this? description proceeds, this invention residesinlcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangementof. parts. and portions as. will. be hereinafter described. in detail.in the specificattion, particularly pointed out in the appended claims,and illustrated inv the accompanying drawings which. form a materialpart-of this application, and in which:

. Figure; 1: is a. perspective view of the car, the

2. roller assemblies being in positionv as when a roll of material isbeing carried thereby;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken on. the line 2'--2in. Figure 1 and including an end elevational view of a wall rack, thefigure also including a plurality of carpet rolls, one of which. isbeingv unloaded from the car onto the wall rack;

Figure 3 is an end elevational: view of this transfer car, the; figureincluding. a carpet roll mounted on the car and. cablemeans used: topull the car;

Figure. 4 is a; central transverse. vertical sec.- tizona'l view of thecar with one of the roller assemblies in lowered position. as when. acarpet roll is being loaded: thereon, the figure showing newrigidlrampmembers are used for guiding the roll onto the car, the carpet rollbeing shown in lines partially loaded. position and the said rollerassembly being shown: in: dash. lines in the: position assumed aftersuch loading has been completed;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary View showing a. frontelevation of the car with one: of the ramps: in. place as when thecar'is being loaded;. and a portion of one? of. the rollers being brokenaway and the underlying: parts being shown. in" section and? inelevation;

Figure 6 is a. perspective view of one of the ramp members;

cation and throughout the several views of the,"

drawings;

Referring. now" to the drawings in. detail, it will be: observed: thatthis inventionv is adapted to. be used with. an environment. including.a wall rack, generally indicated by" the? numeral HI and com"- prisedaof uprights-z I2 with rollers; lz isupported in; suitable bearings, notshowmand designed for operation bya crank it-, the:'wa1]; rack. being:designed to receive rolls of carpet, rugs and linoleum illustrated. atit, Figure: 2 illustrating how a; roll: is transferred from the carwhichforms theisubiect. matter'of this? invention to one of the rollers.I4.

Thetransfer car includes a' frame constructed of. elongated side:members 20' and: end members 22, both of which are preferablyconstructed of angle: iron welded together atthe corners, as indicatedat 24. This frame is provided with casters 26 so that the car may beconveniently pushed or pulled along the floor of the store or otherestablishment.

A pair of end plates 28 are rigidly secured, as by bolts 39, to the endframe members 22. The roller assemblies are pivotally secured to theplates 28 and each assembly includes a pair of similar arms 32 and SA,pivoted at one end to the plates 28 by bolts or rivets 36 and carryingrollers 38 and 40 terminally mounted thereon by means of special bearingmembers to be hereinafter described more fully. Each roller assemblyalso includes headed pin members 32 rigidly secured near the upper endsof the arms 32 and 34, these members s2 being adapted to be received inrecesses M:- in the braces 36 which are pivotally secured to the endframe members 22, as indicated at 48. It will be readilyunderstood-that-- these braces iii are used to support the roller.assemblies in the positions illustrated in Figure 1.

One of the pairs of arms, that indicated at 32, is provided withu-shaped brackets 5e and a pair of ramps 52 are insertable in thesebracket members as, after a manner indicated in Figure 4, it beingunderstood that these ramps 52 may be slid within the brackets, when itis desired to shorten the effective length thereof, or when it isdesired to merely store the ramps in these brackets when the device isnot being used. ,The outer ends of these ramps are curved downwardly tocontact the floor, as indicated at 5 and it should be particularly notedthat these ramps 52 also function as hand levers, whereby the arms 32may be raised or pivoted about the pivot points 35, in order to lock aroll i8 in the car, that is, in order to raise the arms 32 sufficientlyto allow the corresponding braces #16 to be inserted so as to supportthe said arms 32 in elevated positions.

The special bearings for the rollers, illustrated in Figures 5, '7 and8, are illustrated as adapted for use with rollers 38 and it which aretubular.

Each bearing assembly includes an outer bear.- ing member as which iswelded to the roller, as

indicated at 58, and an inner bearing member 60 carried by a bolt 62which is rigidly secured to the arm 32 or 35. In the preferred form, thehead of this bolt 8% is welded to the said inner bearing member 66, anda spacer $5 is provided between the inner bearing member 53' and themember 32 or 34, while a nut 68 is used to tighten the assembly on thesaid arm 32 or 34.

Finally, the plates 28 and the side frame members are supplied with eyemembers it, to facilitate the securement thereto of cables 12 wherebythe car may be pulled in order to transport the rolls I8 as desired.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from theforegoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken inconnection with the recitation of the objects sought to be achieved bythis invention. In recapitulation, it may be added that the specialbearing construction has been found to provide maximum freedom ofrotation for the rollers 38 and 40, while satisfactorily preventingbinding of these rollers due to transverse movement of the arms 32 and34 relative to the frame of the car, all without unduly complicating thestructure of these bearings. The dual functions of the ramps 52 and thegeneral simplicity of construction of the whole device will be now seento be important features of this invention.

Many'minor variations may be made in the exact construction andproportionment of various parts of this invention and the accompanyingdrawings should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting whenconsidered in connection with the specification. Accordingly, thisinvention should be limited only in accordance with a properinterpretation of the terminology of the appended claims.

Having described this invention, claimed as new is:

'1. A rug and linoleum transfer car comprising an elongated wheeledframe, arms terminally pivoted to a pair of opposite sides of the frame,means for releasably supporting said arms at an acute angle with thehorizontal, and rollers rotatably mounted on and between said arms,certain of said armshaving rigid straps securable thereto and adapted tofunction as ramps and as levers for pivoting the arms and rollers.

2. A rug and linoleum transfer car comprisin'g anelongated wheeledframe, arms terminally pivoted to a pair of opposite sides of the frame,means for releasably supporting said arms at an acute angle with thehorizontal, and rollers rotatably mounted on and between said arms, saidrollers having bearing means adapted to provide anti-frictional terminalsupport for the rollers and to overcome end thrust of said rollers, saidbearing means including inner bearing members secured to bolts carriedby said arms, outer hearing members secured to said rollers, and ballbearings operatively mounted between said bearing members. 3. A displaydolly comprising: a truck including a frame and rotatable, floorengaging, supporting means; roller equipped material supports pivoted atone end to said truck and in one position inclined upwardly andoutwardly from said truck and away from each other, and in the otherposition at least one of them positioned parallel to said truck frame;detachable means selectably holding said supports in said one position;handles on one of said supports extensible for forming inclined ramps.

4. A material display dolly comprising: a truck including a frame androtatable, floor engaging, supporting means; material supportingrollers; mounts for said rollers pivotally attached on one end to saidframe to form of said mounts in one position a V open at each of itsends and having its point of convergence at the frame and in anotherposition to form a substantially horizontal loading platform; detachablemeans selectably holding said mounts in V forming position; handlesslidably attached to one of said mounts adapted for forming a ramp whenone side of said V is rotated downwardly.

5. A display dolly comprising: a truck including a rectangular,elongated, base frame and supporting casters; a pair of roller mountingframes therefor, which mounting frames are pivotally attached on theirrespective one ends to the short sides of said base frame on each sideof the longitudinal centerline of said dolly and in loaded position therespective other ends are spaced further apart than the pivotallymounted ends; 'fre'ely rotating rollers mounted to said roller mountingframes; selectably operable supports forsaid roller mounting frames;partially curved handles selectably and extendably attached to one ofsaid roller mounting frames; said roller mounting frames and handles soarranged and constructed that in loading position said one rollermountin'gframes and associated rollers. may

what is of said supports to lie fiat on the upper surface of said baseframe; freely rotatable rollers affixed to and extending beyond theupper sides of said roller mounting frames; a plurality of partiallycurved handles and means aflixing a pair of them extensibly to one ofsaid roller mounting frames; whereby said one roller mounting frame maybe dropped onto the base frame and the handles extended to form aloading ramp.

7. A display dolly comprising: a truck including an elongated,rectangular base frame and supporting casters; a pair of normallyupstanding and diverging roller mounting frames affixed to each endthereof at points on each side of the longitudinal centerline thereof,the said frames on one side of said centerline being pivotally soafiixed; detachable supports for said pivotally affixed roller mountingframes positioned for normally holding same in a V position with respectto the other roller mounting frames but permitting them upon detachmentof said supports to lie flat on the upper surface of said base frame;freely rotatable rollers affixed to and extending beyond the upper sidesof said roller mounting frames; a pair of partially curved handles andmeans affixing them extensibly to one of said pivotally mounted rollermounting frames; whereby said one roller mounting frame may be droppedonto the base frame and the handles extended to form a loading ramp.

KENNETH F. MICKAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,108,548 Bradley Aug. 25, 19141,374,379 Klein Apr. 12, 1921 1,482,105 Andrews et al Jan. 29, 19241,515,824 Best Nov. 18, 1924 1,597,592 Galloway Aug. 24, 1926 1,626,933Hawkins May 3, 1927 1,944,833 Barnes Jan. 23, 1934 1,977,497 SpringerOct. 16, 1934 2,494,997 Geistert Jan. 17, 1950

